The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: 22nd October, 2013

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Pages: 352pgs

The Story

IN THE REAL WORLD, WHEN YOU VANISH INTO THIN AIR FOR A WEEK, PEOPLE TEND TO NOTICE.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for providing me a review copy of this book!

I've always loved Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, but to be honest with you all, lately I have found her spin-off series to be a real disappointment compared to her original series and this book - most of all - is really lucky enough to receive even two stars from me because let me tell you . . . this next installment just gave me a headache for most of the time while reading it.

It's not to say THE IRON TRAITOR was a really bad book because it certainly has its perks, but it had more to do with how I'm struggling to connect with all of the characters and understand the things that they do. So unlike in The Iron Fey series (where they were so many likable characters around), in this particular series I've just found that most of the characters don't do anything for me, making me not care for them at all. And yet again, this has happened to me in this sequel because I just don't care anymore. The characters have no chemistry with each other, they feel out-of-place for some reason, and they do nothing to make themselves memorable.

However, even though I still don't like the characters all so much, but what has surprised me more than anything else was our main character, Ethan, whom I wasn't a huge fan of in the first book. But something has changed within him in this sequel. He is no longer the downer of the series and moans whenever he has a chance to, but rather he has now become the strength of the entire series. So yeah . . . Ethan out of everyone else has certainly changed my opinion of him (it was a what-the-hell? moment of me) and that's probably why I gave more stars for this book than I had planned to initially give. But Ethan was really something else in this book and I'm impressed.

On the other hand, Keirran, whom I've actually liked in the first book (well apart from his romantic relationship with whats-her-name girl who I just want to kill off already and I mean seriously it's more like obsession than true love with that girl), was the only character that had disappointed me the most. He was just . . . how do I put it . . . a stupid idiot. I honestly can't believe he is the child of our awesome and favourite Iron Fey couple . . . I mean how selfish is this one guy and how stupid can he really be. Oh dear lord. He, out of every other character that I don't like one bit, is the main reason why I got such a headache from this book and I seriously can't believe I liked this guy in the first book and not have liked Ethan. I mean, what was I thinking at the time? I should have known he would end up disappointing me. Oh Keirran, what happened to you? Anyway, rant over.

Overall, THE IRON TRAITOR had so much potential going for it, but like the first book it had disappointment once more and if it wasn't a spin-off series I would seriously consider not continuing the series. But, like a faithful reader and fan of Julie Kagawa, I will continue with this series and hope for a great conclusion to this series . . . so fingers crossed for me that the next book impresses me.

The Rating

2/5 stars

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Pages: 379pgs

The Story

Don't look at Them.

Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs - including his reputation - begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world - the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

The Review

A big thanks to HarlequinTeen Australia for sending me an ARC copy of this book!

Like so many other crazy-obsessive fans of Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, a series which I happened to love very much, I was really looking forward to reading the spin-off series featuring the one and only and a much older boy, Ethan, the brother of our favourite heroine Meghan Chase. While this next installment and I didn't get off to a very good start, but since I have plenty of faith in Kagawa's writing in the past and how she develops her characters in each and every book, I feel rest assured when I say I'm sure the sequel will make me fall back in love with this new spin-off series!

In THE LOST PRINCE Ethan Chase was quite the fiery character if I do say so myself. He's angry. He's sweet. He's fearful. He's kind. He's infuriating. He's angry . . . yet again. For a much older version of Ethan there were just so many layers to his character arc which, I'm sure, will interest many of us readers but when it came down to this book alone I still didn't end up liking him as much as I hoped I would. It's sad to say, I know. But what I did like about Ethan was his love for his older sister, Meghan Chase, also known as the Iron Queen, and even after all these years of not seeing her he still managed to hold onto his sweetest memories of her from when he was a younger child. For the majority of the book he may have been angry at her at first (for leaving him behind you know?) but . . . there was still this brotherly love remaining for her alone, a love that was always there to guide him through the hardest of all times. I for one loved that sweeter side of him not the angrier one.

As we dive back into Julie Kagawa's magical Iron Fey world, we not only get to see many familiar faces along this very dangerous journey of Ethan's - including Meghan, Ash and Puck (PUCK PEOPLE! MY BELOVED PUCK IS BACK! YES!), but we are also introduced to some new faces as well. Both sneaky, intruding and equally headstrong as Ethan is, we get to meet Kenzie, Ethan's main love interest and the human girl who ends up being sucked up into Ethan's crazy, crazy world. Now I really enjoyed Kenzie's character! She was smart, resourceful, witty . . . the list goes on to be honest. But the main thing I loved about her character was HER way of telling Ethan off, especially when he oversteps the line and she always calls out the crap he puts onto her and other people, too. So because of that main quality I thought she was pretty awesome though I still expect more from her . . . so let's hope the sequel satisfies me with that.

Then we have another cool character that we're introduced to: Keirran, a young boy who may seem mysterious at first but once you meet him and find out exactly who and what he is . . . much like me you will be dancing around like a mad-woman (or a mad-man, whichever you prefer) and let's just say Keirran may be a romantic at heart and a total lovesick puppy when it comes to his own love interest (whom I didn't like at all unfortunately but ah well . . .), but I know this boy will have a lot to offer in future sequels so I'm definitely looking forward to that.

Without getting into 'too much' detail, overall I thought THE LOST PRINCE was a great start to a spin-off series and offers up something new, fresh and exciting for younger readers and fans of the Iron Fey series. I can't necessarily say this book blew me away like the previously series it was based on (mostly because I would've preferred Keirran's POV over Ethan's) but it was still such a fun read for the most part and it'll be interesting where the author takes this series off to next! But note to the author: BRING ME SOME MORE PUCK . . . PRETTY PLEASE!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars